Star Wars: The Force Awakens SPOILER Review (Part 2)

This is another HEAVY SPOILER WARNING for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  If you haven't seen the film, do not read any further. If you have, then relax and enjoy as I talk about the film in spoilerific detail. Also, please read my spoiler free review of the movie as well as Part 1 of my spoiler review, where I talk about the major events of the actual film. In this review, I'm going to talk about some of the questions which I have regarding the next films to come in the Star Wars saga. Proceed at your own risk, you have been warned.


Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Review (No Spoilers): http://movieswithmattharrison.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/star-wars-force-awakens-movie-review-no.html

Star Wars: The Force Awakens SPOILER Review Part 1: http://movieswithmattharrison.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/star-wars-force-awakens-spoiler-review.html



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I think its only natural for people to leave Star Wars: The Force Awakens feeling as if there was something missing, particularly because of the way the film concludes on such a cliff hanger. But, what people don't understand is this is a good thing. If you finish The Force Awakens and you're desperate to see more, then the film has done its job by successfully starting a story which will span a trilogy.

I also think its easy for people to criticise various characters and aspects of the movie's story because at this point, we are only a third of the way through and over-arching story. At this point, we are unable to see the bigger picture of events, meaning that we may find it difficult to interpret various aspects of the film.

One of the biggest questions I have concerning future Star Wars films concerns one of the saga's new central characters Rey. Its clear that from now on she will be training under the guidance of Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi. At one point, Maz Kanata even says to Rey that her past is unimportant, and what is important is what is about to happen. But there are still so many questions? Who are Rey's parents? Is Rey linked to Luke somehow? And who left her on the planet of Jakku, and more importantly, why?

My theory is a popular one amongst Internet bloggers and speculators, but I think it would make sense if Rey was the daughter of Luke, which may explain why she is able to utilise the power of the force at such an impressive rate. Even if she does not prove to be Luke's daughter, she must have a close connection to events which occurred many years ago involving Luke and Kylo Ren, as she experiences various visions involving Ren and Luke when she first touches Luke's lightsaber.

This is one of the most interesting things I hope they explain in future instalments. I am itching to know exactly what went wrong between Luke and Ben Solo, and why Luke felt such guilt at the fact his sister's son turned to the Dark Side to the point where he willingly exiled himself. There's clearly a lot of history between these characters and there are definitely a lot of holes to fill.

I mentioned before that Maz Kanata was a character who I was interested to see more from. Particularly, I hope we get one thing explained to us. This one thing is how she managed to come into possession of Luke and Anakin Skywalker's old lightsaber. Remember, the last time we saw it the saber was flung down a large shaft in the Cloud City alongside Luke's right hand. So how Maz came to own the lightsaber is very interesting to me. This detail was glossed over in the film itself however I feel they did a good job at explaining why it wasn't explained. After all, it is "a story for another time".

Another character who we know virtually nothing about, besides the fact he is Kylo Ren's trainer and Supreme Leader of the First Order, is Snoke. Where did he come from? Where has he been all this time? Has he been around during the time of previous Star Wars films only to lurk unseen in the shadows? And why does he want to find Luke Skywalker so badly? His character is the one shrouded in the most mystery. I can't wait to find out more about him! And for those who believe he may be Darth Plagueis, you might be on to something...

These questions are ones I am most interested to have answered in future instalments of the franchise. I do have various other questions that I feel like may not be the questions future films focus on. One of which being whether or not Leia tried to walk down the Jedi path. I have a feeling that she didn't despite the fact she is very force sensitive. Also, who is going to govern the galaxy now the First Order has destroyed the home planet of the Republic?

Hopefully, all of these questions will have begun to have been answered in Episode 8 ready for a satisfying conclusion in Episode 9. Either way, Star Wars is back and the future is looking good for the Star Wars saga in the hands of directors and production crews passionate for the material they are creating.



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Thanks for reading, and may the force be with you!
And have a Merry Christmas!
Matt

Star Wars: The Force Awakens SPOILER Review (Part 1)

This is a HEAVY SPOILER WARNING for those who are yet to see the Force Awakens. If you haven't seen the film, do not read any further. If you have, then relax and enjoy as I talk about the film in spoilerific detail. Also, check out my Spoiler-free review where I give my opinion on the film with no spoilers to be found.


Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review (No Spoilers): http://movieswithmattharrison.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/star-wars-force-awakens-movie-review-no.html




-------------------------STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS SPOILERS-------------------------------



So if you've read my spoiler free review you'll know I absolutely loved my experience watching The Force Awakens. I thought it did an excellent job at paying homage to the classic Star Wars stuff we're all used to whilst giving us new characters to love and enjoy. I can't wait to see where characters like Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren go in the next instalment, set for a May 26th 2017 release date.

According to various reports, all of the main cast of The Force Awakens are set to return for Episode VIII alongside old favourites Luke, Leia, Chewie etc. However, one character which will not be returning will be Han Solo, who is killed in the third act by Kylo Ren. Despite the fact I would never have been emotionally ready to say goodbye to one of my all time favourite characters in movie history, Han's death makes sense from a logical standpoint. Harrison Ford has admitted he wanted to see Han die in Return of the Jedi, and he probably only agreed to come back for Episode VII knowing he would be killed off.

But the first time I watched that scene I physically contorted in my seat knowing what was about to happen. It was a tremendous and a truly memorable scene, giving the film a necessary emotional punch. If the death of Han Solo tells us anything, it's that no character is safe. For a science fiction adventure film in which your characters embark on journeys fraught with danger, vulnerability of your main characters is crucial. If Han can die, then there's no reason why Luke, Leia or even someone like Rey can't die in the next one.

But I think we can all agree one character we want to see die is Kylo Ren, who is officially the biggest dickbag in the galaxy. He will forever be known as the scum who stabbed and killed his father. Despite this, I think its fair to say that the writing surrounding the character of Kylo Ren was the strongest aspect of what was a very smartly constructed script. From early on, the film illustrates perfectly how he is a conflicted man, especially when he is praying to the charred helmet of his grandfather Darth Vader. The pull of the Light Side (his family), which Snoke clearly sensed, was emotionally tearing him apart and the only way to fix this was for him to strike down his own father.

Not even Darth Vader went as far to kill one of his own. Ren had no such issue killing a member of his own family. But I don't think its fair to make comparisons between Vader and Ren even though it is incredibly easy to due to their aesthetics. But, in the original trilogy Vader was a calm, collected villain who was always in control; the defined version of villainy. Ren is very young, and inexperienced. He's constantly got something to prove and strikes out in anger when things don't go his way. Combining all of these various elements makes Kylo Ren the most interesting character of the entire sequel trilogy at this moment in time. And I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that after one movie, Kylo Ren became a more intriguing character than Darth Vader. Whether he de-thrones him as the best villain in Star Wars history remains to be seen.

Another huge spoiler worth discussing is that Rey, the lonely scavenger on Jakku, is our new Jedi. And we find out she's incredibly talented with The Force via 2 excellent scenes which see her explore the extent of her newly discovered abilities. One scene synonymously explains Kylo Ren's motivations as a villain, and its one of my favourite of the entire film. We see Ren use the force to try and extract information concerning the "map to Skywalker" from Rey, but Rey starts to fight back. She uses the Force against him and finds out why Ren is so conflicted within; "he's afraid he'll never live up to Darth Vader". The acting in this scene is incredible, with both Driver's and Ridley's changing facial expressions conveying the changing nature of the situation magnificently.

The other scene in which we see Rey use her new powers involves her performing a Jedi mind trick on a Stormtrooper. For those of you that didn't know, that Stormtrooper was played by Daniel Craig. I watched the film a second time yesterday, and you can easily identify his voice once you know it is him. It's a very funny scene as well, especially when Craig drops his gun on the way out. And for those complaining that Rey's "mastery" of The Force happens too quickly, she doesn't get it right first time. In fact, it takes her 3 attempts to get the mind trick to work.

I said in my spoiler free review that the movie was a lot funnier than I expected thanks to a sharply written script which made the humour flow naturally from the characters. I also said that Finn was one of my favourite characters not just due to his path of redemption which summarises his whole character arc, but because he made my burst out laughing on so many occasions due to John Boyega's brilliant charisma and enthusiasm.

"We'll save her, we'll use the force." "That's not how the force works!". Brilliant stuff. "Here that Captain Phasma? I'm in charge! I'm in charge now Captain!". Hysterical. And whilst we're talking about the movie's humour, I can't not mention that scene with BB8 in which Finn gives him the thumbs up, which he returns using an inbuilt lighter. I don't know about you but my theatre erupted the loudest at that moment alongside many others.

I also mentioned in my original review my only criticism of the movie was concerning its narrative, which I feel borrowed a little too many plot points from A New Hope. These included the pursuit of a droid containing valuable information as well as the assault on the planet destroying base of the intergalactic bad guys. We've seen it all before. But I can understand why these plot elements are involved within this movie. It's trying to play it safe whilst introducing Star Wars to a new generation of movie goers. It also needed to appease the fans of the original trilogy and did that well with a variety of hidden Easter eggs. I say hidden, there's probably loads of articles listing every single Easter egg down to meticulous detail at this point.

If anything, the Starkiller Base gives the X wings something to fight during the finale. It also gives us more of Poe, which I can never complain about. Poe is just a person I aspire to be like, the best in his field and assured of his status without ever bordering into excessive confidence or cockiness. The movie did a great job at showcasing he is, without dispute, the best pilot in the galaxy during the scene in which The Resistance come to fight The First Order after they storm Maz Kanata's palace. There is one tracking shot which sees him take out multiple Tie Fighters shot from the perspective of Finn from on the ground. That's another thing I loved about JJ Abrams direction of this film besides the return to practical effects, the use of long, wide takes shot on real-world locations.

There is CGI in the film and a lot of people have complained about the 2 motion capture characters for their look. These being Maz Kanata and Supreme Leader Snoke. The design of these characters didn't bother me at all, and I'm very interested to see these people explored in greater depth in future instalments. A lot of mystery surrounds these two, and questions need to be answered. I can't wait to experience the answers in less than 2 years time.

Coming to the end of the film now and I feel I should talk about the confrontation between Kylo Ren and Finn and Rey. Finn goes down very easily and takes a serious hit from Ren's lightsaber. I also loved the way the triple edged saber was used to good effect with Ren burning Finn's shoulder. When Finn goes down, daddy killer Kylo Ren tries to lift Luke's old lightsaber from the snow. After a short pause, the lightsaber flings out of the snow past his head and into the hands of Rey. Cue the fanboy tears.

From there a brutal fight ensues in which Rey becomes the victor after she calms herself and utilises the force. Another complaint I'm hearing from people is how easily Rey seems to beat Kylo Ren. I don't share this opinion. The movie shows us that Rey is perfectly self sufficient and able to hold her own in fight. It also shows Kylo Ren's inexperience. Think about it, he probably hasn't seen anything like Rey since he betrayed Luke. I mean I can't imagine Snoke trained him in lightsaber combat that much. To see Rey win such a brutal fight was incredibly gratifying for me as a viewer as we finally have ourselves a female Jedi.

After the Starkiller base is destroyed and Ren defeated (but not dead) R2D2 wakes up and reveals the location of Luke Skywalker, who is hiding on a the planet of the first Jedi Temple, exiling himself due to the burdening guilt of tearing apart the Solo family. He may seem to wake up out of nowhere, but hear me out. We see in Rey's vision sequences Luke placing his hand on R2. I believe R2 wakes up because Luke somehow has control over him. R2 powers down only to power back up again when the time was right. Now that The Force has awakened within Rey, Luke revealed the path to himself for Rey to follow.

The movie ends and we get a glimpse at Luke Skywalker who makes a very brief, dialogue-free appearance. Rey shows him his lost lightsaber, and the movie cuts to credits. I'm sure many will be disappointed we didn't see much more of Luke, but the movie's marketing campaign never promised us much of Luke at all. What his brief appearance does do is make us pumped for Episode VIII, in which hopefully we will see Rey train under Luke.

And while this is going on, Ren will be training under the guidance of Snoke. There, the battle between the Light and Dark Side of The Force can recommence once again.



--------------------END OF STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS SPOILERS----------------------



Hope you enjoyed reading some of the spoilers from the Force Awakens itself. Coming soon will be Part 2 of my Force Awakens spoiler review in which I shall talk about some of the questions I have concerning the future of the Star Wars saga.

Thanks for reading, and may the force be with you!
And have a Merry Christmas!
Matt

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Review (NO SPOILERS)

What a time to be alive! Thanks to the efforts of JJ Abrams and all involved in the production of this film, we live in a world where we are going to movie theatres to watch great Star Wars movies. Despite the astronomical pressure and fan expectation, I think its fair to say that The Force Awakens, the 7th film in the Star Wars franchise, is a massive success and one of the most entertaining films I've seen all year. This film is the reason why I love movies in the way that I do.

But I'm getting ahead of myself and have completely spoiled what I thought about it, but I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is directed by JJ Abrams and tells the story of a post Return of the Jedi Star Wars universe, taking place approximately 30 years after the destruction of the second Death Star and the fall of the Galactic Empire. Since then, Luke Skywalker has gone missing and both the First Order (the reincarnated Empire) and the Resistance (the rebels) are both desperately searching for a lead to Luke's whereabouts. And that's all I'm going to say about the plot, because it's best you go into the movie not knowing anything for the full experience.

One of the biggest complaints people (myself included) have of the Prequels is that they're paced atrociously with scenes which do nothing to progress the plot or flesh out characters. Thanks to JJ Abrams fantastically frantic, fast-paced direction, The Force Awakens never ceases to be entertaining. Every single scene in this film matters, and the excitement levels never drop and the film never ceases to be supremely entertaining.

Abram's vibrant and passionate direction of this film seeps into every single frame. Everything to do with this film in terms of its aesthetics was absolutely spot on; it felt like it belonged in the Star Wars universe. The cinematography was fantastic with every shot having something special about it, John William's iconic musical score was back in full force (pun intended) and the use of practical effects over computer-generated imagery was an utter masterstroke by the filmmakers. The locations, the costumes, the use of puppetry, the visual and audio effects all felt like Star Wars to me. I was thrilled to see a film look as if it was shot somewhere on this Earth as opposed to in a fake, blue screen environment. I know some people are complaining that the CGI of the 2 motion capture characters was off, but I didn't have that problem at all! For me, when CGI was used it was used very well.

The action sequences in this movie are all filmed and executed to perfection, with both battles on the ground and in the air both being equally enthralling. Plus, the lightsaber battles were everything I wanted them to be! There was no pointless choreography and the fights were brutal, taking place between two or more people with the intention being to kill the opponent. Because its so real, the stakes are higher and its more entertaining to watch unfold. The fights feel like a bi-product of the internal conflict between characters and not the other way around, which is how it should be in my opinion.

Every shot of The Force Awakens is injected with the raw passion of the filmmakers who went out of their way to make every scene as perfect as they possible could. Having filmed on these amazing locations and brilliantly crafted sets almost certainly aided the actors in this film, all of which give phenomenal performances simply because they're so thrilled and enthusiastic to be performing in a Star Wars film.

One performance which stands above the rest was Daisy Ridley's portrayal of Rey; which is the physical embodiment of perfect casting. She's fantastic in this film, and so is her character. Rey is smart, quick-thinking, likeable, and can really hold her own in a fight. She's another strong female lead in what has been a good year for female leads in blockbuster films, and she tops this list with ease. I can't wait to see Rey in future films, because out of all the characters in this film (of which there are a few), she has the most interesting future and room for character development for sure.

But I have to admit that John Boyega's Finn may well be my favourite character in this film. His performance is the most charismatic out of everyone and a lot of the movie's humour channels through him, and works like a treat. Not only does he have natural on screen chemistry with Daisy Ridley, but Finn's character arc is the most noticeable and interesting one to watch unfold. It was great to see a Star Wars film get into the psyche of a Stormtrooper, and it's Finn's morality and willingness to do what is right that makes him so likeable and relatable.

When I say this movie has humour, I really do mean this movie is hysterical in so many places. And the fact is a lot of the humour in this film comes out so naturally and courtesy of so many characters. It would have been possible for them to go overboard on it but I think all of it was used excellently to liven up the tone of a film which is incredibly thrilling and emotional in a lot of places. I've also gotta give a shout out to BB8, who's awesome. I need one of those things around the house!

There are also so many other characters that don't get a lot of screen time in The Force Awakens, but I honestly can't wait to see more of them. One such character has to be Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron, the most likeable, badass X-wing pilot in the galaxy. Seriously though Isaac is a quality actor and deserves the roles he's getting because he is so good in every role he is given.

The Force Awakens does this incredible thing where it pays homage and respects the old, but gets you excited and enthusiastic for the new and desperate to see more of where these characters are going to go and what they're going to do. It also would've been easy for them to shoe-horn in the traditional characters (like Han Solo) for nostalgia purposes. That is the complete opposite of what they do in The Force Awakens. In fact, Han Solo is integral to the plot. To see Han Solo and Chewie in the Millennium Falcon in a film released in 2015 was almost too much for my nerd brain to handle at times.

Harrison Ford knocked it out of the park playing Han Solo once again, proving that this was the role he was born to play. Both Han and Leia share a really beautiful scene in a hangar which was one of the most emotional moments of the entire film. In fact, due to the performances of both Ford and Fisher combined with the direction and the screenwriting, you really felt a sense of history and pain within Han and Leia's relationship.

And what's a Star Wars film without a great villain? Thankfully, The Force Awakens is no exception as the galaxy's new evil bastard goes to the man named Kylo Ren. He's honestly my favourite villain of the year. One of the reasons why I loved him so much was because he was actually a vicious, unpredictable villain who could lose his temper at any moment. He's completely irrational and devoted to an unhealthy degree to the man he idolises; Darth Vader. Despite the fact you hate Kylo Ren more than anything in this world, you still have a good grip on his motivations for his actions. This is especially during an intense scene between Ren and Rey, which synonymously makes Rey the most interesting character going into future instalments.

There are definitely some characters in this film which do not have much screen time, one of which being Andy Serkis' Supreme Leader Snoke, but you have to remember this is the first film of 3. We're getting 2 more films after this which will answer all of the unanswered questions, of which there are plenty. And the fact of the matter is, I can't wait to have them answered! Isn't that the point of the first film of a trilogy, to satisfy you by setting everything up but leaving you to speculate and ask questions about what is to come?

The only negative thing I can say about The Force Awakens is the use of some very familiar plot points, most notably the purpose of BB8 in the film and the Starkiller Base, the home of the First Order. Other than that, I loved every remaining aspect of this film. And to that I owe JJ Abram's a massive thank you. Thanks for bringing glory back to the Star Wars franchise by making an entertaining and emotional film which gave me everything I wanted.

Over to you Rian Johnson, you have some serious shoes to fill, but all of the tools needed to do it!


Rating - A

Thanks for reading, and may the force be with you!
Matt

Black Mass Movie Review

Black Mass is directed by Scott Cooper and stars Johnny Depp as an actual character for once and not a reincarnation of Captain Jack Sparrow, can you believe that! The film tells the story of James "Whitey" Bulger, played by Depp, and the expansion of his criminal empire in the 70s and 80s. Despite being one of the most ruthless, bloody and infamous gangsters in America, Bulger was allowed to get away with the horrific crimes he caused due to a formal alliance he held with an FBI agent and his brother, a powerful senator. However, as his criminal dealings become increasingly erratic, this alliance is put under immense pressure as the FBI try and find a way to take Bulger down.

So far I think its fair to say a fair share of movies to come out in 2015 have been hyped up only to fall short of my personal expectations. Thankfully, Black Mass is not one of those movies. It is an interesting and thrilling crime drama with real suspenseful direction, investing dialogue, good acting all round and characters you love to watch and interact with each other. I had a great time with this movie.

It definitely won't be looked back on in years to come as a definitive film within the crime drama genre (which is littered with classics), but Black Mass does everything it sets out to do and delivered on all of the levels that I wanted it to. A lot of the credit has to go to director Scott Cooper. While I wasn't a fan of his last film "Out of the Furnace", this film surprised me at how well it was directed. Cooper has a great handle on the movie's serious and at times disgusting tone, which makes for some truly haunting scenes and some thrilling moments.

But Cooper also excels with his visual direction. Black Mass really does feel as if a director has taken hold of a project and produced it in his/her personal style. It's definitely a good looking film. In fact I'd go as far to say that it is so good that it perfectly encapsulates the location the story is taking place in. Boston in this film is made to look murky, cold and chilling via Cooper's direction and because it is done so well, it feels like its own character. The movie's overall tone and visual aesthetic complement each other perfectly, which is I feel a necessity when telling a story like this.

I have to be honest here though, Black Mass would have failed if it wasn't for the brilliance of Johnny Depp in this role. His acting performance is so good to the point where his eyes seem to shut off and he becomes a completely different person. He steals every single scene he is in and when he isn't on screen you desperately want to see him come back on. Despite the fact he is a despicable human being who does some unforgiveable stuff, you still kind of empathize with him because he's such an interesting character with real humanity and an excellent back story. Credit here should go to the screenwriters for crafting such an excellent lead character.

The rest of the acting performances are all really good. Black Mass has such a huge cast but everyone who makes it up all understand their roles perfectly and shine when they need to. Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kevin Bacon, Adam Scott and Corey Stoll all did really well with the screen time they were accommodated. But Joel Edgerton was great as Connolly, Bulger's childhood friend and the FBI agent who he forms the alliance with to take down the Italians.

It's been a really good year for Edgerton. He can now properly wipe the shit stain that is Exodus: Gods & Kings off his reputation because this, along with his amazing debut directorial effort "The Gift" (which you must see) make him one of my favourite guys in Hollywood at the moment. He's another excellently crafted character, one whose motivations you understand and one who you route for to succeed, even if he is technically breaking the law.

As for issues I have with the movie, I only have maybe 1 or 2. The first being I think it is one of those films you watch once but never feel the need to go back to again. The second concerns the film's overall narrative. Black Mass has a habit of jumping years at a time. I just wish that they had decided against this. I think the film would have felt more narratively cohesive and less discombobulated. It was a decision made in the editing room which I felt hindered the natural progression of the story.

But overall Black Mass is a really good movie with an amazing lead performance. Even if you don't fancy seeing it, it should be worth a watch for people who are really into great acting, and crime dramas in general for that matter. It's a solid entry into the genre:


Rating - B+

Thanks for reading,
Matt